Historic Bridges in California

4,414 bridges built before 1951 in California still in service today.

Bridges Built Before 1951

The United States has 4,414 bridges in California built before 1951 that remain in active service. These structures are 75+ years old — many predate modern engineering codes and were not designed for today's traffic volumes and vehicle weights. The average design life of a bridge is 50 years, making these aging structures a significant infrastructure concern.

Clear
Bridge State Condition Year Built Age (Years) ADT
MAD RIVER California Fair 1937 89 105
SOUTH DOBBYN CREEK California Poor 1937 89 281
CHINA GULCH California Fair 1937 89 21,400
ANTELOPE CREEK California Fair 1937 89 132
MCCARTY CREEK California Fair 1937 89 40
S FORK PINE CREEK California Fair 1937 89 100
SOUTH FORK JEWETT CREEK California Fair 1937 89 200
CRAIG CREEK California Good 1937 89 110
JEWETT CREEK California Fair 1937 89 600
LITTLE ANTELOPE CREEK California Fair 1937 89 155
OAT CREEK California Fair 1937 89 980
CLEAR STREAM California Good 1937 89 6,700
BAECHTEL CREEK California Good 1937 89 18,350
SACRAMENTO RIVER OVFL California Good 1937 89 1,500
BIG BUTTE CREEK OVERFLOW California Good 1937 89 1,500
BIG BUTTE CREEK OVERFLOW California Good 1937 89 1,500
BIG BUTTE CREEK OVERFLOW California Fair 1937 89 1,500
BRANCH HOWARD SLOUGH California Fair 1937 89 93
WILLOW CREEK OVERFLOW California Good 1937 89 2,678
DEVIL SLOUGH California Fair 1937 89 1,139
WYANDOTTE CREEK California Fair 1937 89 807
ROCKY HUNCUT CREEK California Fair 1937 89 1,624
ROCK CREEK California Fair 1937 89 463
HANLON SLOUGH California Fair 1937 89 44
LITTLE DRY CREEK California Fair 1937 89 105
BUNKHAM SLOUGH California Good 1937 89 2,296
COON CREEK California Fair 1937 89 1,487
HAUPT CREEK California Good 1937 89 200
NAPA RIVER California Fair 1937 89 813
MORRISON CREEK California Fair 1937 89 10,800
PARKING LOT California Good 1937 89 6,000
GOLDEN GATE-SAN FRAN BAY California Fair 1937 89 90,932
NICASIO CREEK California Fair 1937 89 6,000
BUNKER ROAD California Fair 1937 89 7,201
EAST ROAD California Fair 1937 89 7,201
OLEMA CREEK California Poor 1937 89 3,500
MARSH CREEK California Fair 1937 89 5,637
MARSH CREEK California Fair 1937 89 3,979
LAS TRAMPAS CREEK California Poor 1937 89 2,200
LAS TRAMPAS CREEK California Fair 1937 89 900
WILSON WAY California Fair 1937 89 9,300
MARTIN LUTHER KING JR BL California Fair 1937 89 150
MARTIN LUTHER KING JR BL California Poor 1937 89 30
WARREN CREEK California Fair 1937 89 207
WARREN CREEK California Fair 1937 89 207
BEAR CREEK California Fair 1937 89 955
NORTH FORK MOKELUMNE RIV California Good 1937 89 490
PACIFIC CREEK California Fair 1937 89 1,250
S FORK STANISLAUS RIVER California Good 1937 89 5,100
DRY CREEK California Fair 1937 89 75

About Historic Bridge Data

Bridges built before 1951 are classified as historic in this database. Many were designed to 1940s standards with lower load limits and narrower lanes. While FHWA requires regular inspections of all bridges regardless of age, older structures often require more frequent monitoring and rehabilitation investment.